


Extinction: In The Desert

by WolfWhovian



Series: Not Just Subtext Anymore [1]
Category: Resident Evil (Movieverse), Resident Evil - All Media Types
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:48:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25961620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WolfWhovian/pseuds/WolfWhovian
Summary: My very gay take on Resident Evil Extinction. I just love when the convoy is traveling through the desert, so I extended the time there by a few days. Most of the action is the same as the movie there's just you know more wlw. It's the subtext we all know is there. I will be following this with a fic each for Afterlife, Retribution, and The Final Chapter.
Relationships: Alice/Claire Redfield
Series: Not Just Subtext Anymore [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1884325
Comments: 6
Kudos: 48





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first finished fanfic so leave feedback if you can. Special thanks to Katherine for cheering me on as I wrote this. You're amazing!

Alice mentally cursed herself again for the loss of her motorcycle as she adjusted the scarf around her face. A dream she couldn’t remember the exact details of had triggered her psionic powers as she slept, levitating and destroying the bike. Bringing her watch up closer to her face, Alice checked the location of the satellite. 

Still a couple of hours out, Alice let out a sigh and, as her hand fell back to her side, caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Her feet halted as she stared at the strange sight to her left. 

Birds. Hundreds of them. Circling around something in the near distance that was hidden from Alice by the tall dunes of sand. Only one thing could draw such attention. Survivors, Alice realized as she quickly decided to change her course, hope they’re friendlier than the last ones. 

It was all going to hell. Claire cursed. The damn bus had got stuck in the sand and they’d had to turn around to evacuate all of the kids. The birds continued their assault as the last child was saved from the ruined bus. Claire had just enough of a reprieve to glance over as Carlos grabbed a girl who’d tried to run and enough time for her muscles to tense as the blast from the mounted flamethrower turned their way. 

She saw Carlos turn his back to shield the girl from the fire and prepared herself to watch them both die. 

The flames stopped just short of them instead and Claire’s gaze was drawn to a figure standing on the far side of Carlos and the girl. Claire took in the woman’s appearance before the inferno above their heads drew her attention. 

A brown dirty duster hung almost to the stranger’s feet and a scarf was bunched around her neck from where she’d pulled it from her head. Claire’s gaze was pulled to the fire that was disappearing now that it had finished off the last of the infected birds and soon all that was left were the charred ashes of their foes. 

Claire turned her awestruck gaze back to the woman with the strange powers in time to see her sway and she took a step before she realized she was too far to be of help. She gave a sigh as she saw Carlos reach the woman just in time, catching her just as she reached her knees. The two seemed to know each other. 

Deciding to leave the stranger literally in the hands of Carlos, Claire turned to gather her people and begin to calm them. This was going to be interesting. 

Alice awoke in a makeshift bed in the remains of the motel. As she moved her hand to block the sunlight shining into her eyes, the bracelet encircling her wrist caught her eye. That’s new. 

K-mart, as the teenage girl who’d been watching her as she slept had introduced herself, had made the colorful bracelet and given it to Alice. “For luck,” she’d said. Well, Alice decided, I could sure as hell use some of it. K-Mart had seemed genuine and sweet and Alice had made sure her voice was softened when she spoke to her. Alice was well aware that these people had more evidence than most of why she was so dangerous. 

Alice strode beside K-Mart towards the group of survivors, but when they got close enough, she laid a hand on the girl’s shoulder in a silent message. These people’s dead were not hers to mourn and her presence among them would only disturb them further. 

Carlos glanced at her long enough to meet her gaze from her spot out of the way. He placed his hands on a woman’s shoulders and seemed to whisper something to her before they both turned from the graves to head her way. Carlos introduced the woman in front of her as Claire Redfield, the obvious leader of the convoy and as it turns out, the one who originally started it. 

Alice met Claire’s eyes as she approached, a brilliant blue that seemed much brighter than her own, and grasped the hand she offered as Claire thanked her for assisting with the birds. Alice could only nod and averted her eyes, words failing her before K-Mart was calling Claire away. 

Alice somehow managed to dodge Carlos’s harder questions about why she abandoned them after Raccoon City. She was just thankful that he hadn’t mentioned Angie. Alice would never be ready for that conversation but there was no doubt in her mind that him, Jill, and LJ knew exactly what she’d done. 

Umbrella had pushed her hand, quite literally, but it had still been her hand and she hadn’t been able to stop herself from pulling the trigger. That was when it truly dawned on Alice that as long as there was a chance of her being controlled, she needed to avoid staying with people. She got people killed. That was just the truth.

Claire removed her sunglasses as she approached the woman, Alice she well remembered, “Got a minute?” 

Alice nodded as she met Claire’s eyes for the second time, “Yeah.” Her voice was soft, she knew what was coming. 

Claire’s job of keeping her people safe had just become that much harder and she had to address any dangers they faced, “Everyone’s grateful for you helping us out-” 

Alice interrupted, “But how long am I gonna stay.” Alice looked away as Claire’s gaze turned softer. She didn’t need or want pity. It didn’t kill the undead or find supplies. 

“Don’t get me wrong. We really are grateful,” Claire’s voice became hushed, “They were all talking about what you did and they’re scared.” 

“I don’t blame them,” Alice glanced back to Claire’s face but didn’t linger, “People have a habit of dying around me.” 

Claire shook her head slightly, “Not just you,” and Alice quickly looked back at her face, momentarily surprised. Alice acknowledged the statement with an inclination of her head as their eyes met once again before Claire turned her head to the seven grave markers that sat in the desert now, freshly made. Alice had forgotten. No one could guarantee safety anymore. This was a new world and those still living often had to turn their backs on the dead to move forward. 


	2. Chapter 2

Claire’s vantage from the top of the truck allowed her to see most of the camp, including Alice. Claire studied her. Some of her people had come to her with concerns about their new ‘savior’ and it was Claire’s job to settle their fears. 

Alice seemed to be staring at nothing as she leaned against the side of the fuel truck and, if something hadn’t told Claire differently, she might have thought the woman was completely lost inside her own head. However, Claire noted that precisely the moment an older woman struggling to carry a load of blankets and old sheets crossed into Alice’s vision, the woman seemed to decide something immediately. 

She watched as Alice approached the woman, who seemed at any time she might drop everything she held and noticed how the wide-angle she approached from allowed the older woman to see her coming. Alice stopped a respectable distance from the woman and Claire had a good enough view to read her lips as she spoke, Do you need some help with that? 

Her view was also good enough for Claire to be able to notice the hesitation in Alice’s eyes, and realized the distance she’d given was a precaution against the older woman’s potential fear of her. Something in her eyes told Claire that Alice expected to be refused and shunned by the woman she’d offered to help. 

Unable to see how the older woman replied, Claire had to interpret from the initial surprise and momentary relief that swept through Alice, that the help had been accepted. The corner of Claire’s lips turned up in the beginnings of a smile as she watched Alice effortlessly lift the bundles of cloth from the woman and dipped her head in signal for her to lead the way. 

They’ll run out of supplies long before they run out of desert, Alice had soon realized. Luckily they hadn’t yet had to abandon a vehicle in an effort to conserve fuel, but it was likely only a matter of time. Aside from gas, they were also dangerously low on food and many of the adults had halved their already meager portions in order to make sure the children were fed as long as possible. 

Alice decided to wait until after they had stopped to make camp and gotten everything set up before she went searching for Claire. She wanted to compile the towns they had searched for supplies already. It would do no good driving to a town that she well knew was empty of everything but the dead and dust. 

Eventually, Alice found Claire in the back of a run-down convenience store, cursing as she tried to kick open an old cigarette machine. Alice raised an eyebrow at the display as her lips twitched in amusement, “What did that thing do to piss you off?” 

Claire sighed as she temporarily gave up her assault and leaned back against a counter, “There’s a chance it’s withholding cigarettes from me.” 

Alice grinned and approached the dusty machine and, grabbing the handle at the top, as she kicked the panel beside the door at the same time. “Well. Can’t let that stand, can we?” 

Claire’s determination was rewarded with three untouched packs of Marlboro reds and she didn’t hesitate to snatch them up. She hurriedly opened up a pack, already longing for that first inhale, and made a frustrated noise when the lighter she reached into her pocket to grab wasn’t there. 

Claire heard a chuckle and glanced back at Alice, looking very annoyed until Alice brought the flame of her own lighter up to the end of the cigarette. “Better?” 

“Much better,” Claire answered after she let out the first breath of smoke and held the open pack out to Alice in offering. Alice reached for one and figured now was as good a time as any. 

“If you’ve got time, I wanted to go over the places we’ve looked. It’ll save time and fuel not searching towns that have been picked clean.” 

Claire brought her cigarette down to her side as she leaned over the counter to grab something, “Good idea. This should make it easier.” Alice’s breath caught as she noticed the bottom of Claire’s shirt slide up to reveal her waist and she quickly brought her cigarette back up to her mouth to hide the sound. 

Claire had heard the intake of breath and decided to reach just a little bit farther to grab the map she’d spotted earlier. Claire fought to hide a smirk as she straightened and twisted back around to face Alice, acting oblivious to the look she saw pass through her eyes. “We’ll have to find some light but being able to cross off possibilities will make this much easier.” 

After grabbing a battery-powered lantern, Alice and Claire spread out the map in the back of the hummer and they both gathered around one corner. It turned out that between Alice and Claire’s caravan they had almost completely scavenged the desert of all supplies, but they had managed to pick out a few untouched spots that seemed promising. 

We got damned lucky, Claire thought as Carlos and a few other survivors reported back that one of the houses in the city they’d chosen had a secret cellar. The houses’ previous owner had stockpiled food, water, and even ammunition under the main floor. Her momentary thought of how the people who’d hidden all of those supplies down there hadn’t lasted long enough to use much of them was pushed from her mind as soon as the first box of food was brought out. 

Alice had volunteered to venture into the dark cellar first and Claire had okayed it after a private word was had between the two. Alice had a much better chance than anyone else and the hole they had managed to make in the reinforced cellar door wasn’t as large as they could have hoped. 

There had been one undead and two very dead waiting for Alice as she slid through the makeshift cellar entrance, the two dead before she entered had been very small. Children. The undead man with them had obviously been infected and they’d had no defense when he turned on them. 

Two other people, a woman and a thin man, had managed the small gap in the door after Alice had declared the cellar clear of threats. Seemingly unaffected by the dead, the woman simply picked up a box of canned food but had just started up the staircase when the man rushed by her, a hand covering his mouth. Alice and the woman shared an amused glance and Alice shook her head as she grabbed another box to carry up. Now that they knew how much was down here, it would be worth the time and effort to remove the whole cellar door, but first what they’d already taken would be enough for a meal. 

Claire left Carlos in charge of setting up the perimeter around the camped convoy. Chase had found some tools and already begun working on the removal of the cellar door, but he paused as she approached and stepped aside so she could go through the hole. 

The scene Claire found as her foot found the last step was of the dead man and a bed sheet that had been draped over what she deduced from the blood was more bodies. She raised an eyebrow as she crouched down, one hand hovering over her holster and the other prepared to lift the covering but paused as a voice warned her. 

“I wouldn’t,” Alice knew her warning would be dismissed and sighed as the edge of the sheet was lifted, only to quickly be pulled back down. “I told you.” 

Claire only nodded in acknowledgment as she stood back up, her attention intensely focused on the shelves of food and ammo. She was inspecting a box of bullets when Alice leaned against the wall beside her, a hand holding open the top of a cigarette pack towards her. 

“He was pretty well stocked up on these too,” Alice explained as Claire pulled a cigarette from the pack and held it to her lips. 

Claire inhaled through the filter after the end had been lit by the lighter that Alice once again held up for her. “We’re going to have to get out of this desert soon. There’s not much left here for us to take. We’re close to running on fumes as it is.” 

Alice was reminded of the journal she’d found at the gas station lying under a hanging corpse. It had information on a supposed safe haven in the state of Alaska, Arcadia, which apparently had no infection.“I may have an answer for you. We should talk when the others are asleep.” 

“Get out of here, freak!” Alice simply raised an eyebrow at the taunting of the man. How original, she thought as the shadows of her campfire danced on her face. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Carlos as he took a step forward to confront the unruly man and prepared herself to wave him off. She didn’t need protection and the man’s fear of her was justified even if his insults were ineffective. 

Carlos, however, simply smirked and took his seat again as Alice followed his line of sight to the other side of her would-be tormentor. The convoy leader, Claire, Alice remembered, had if possible been even more outraged by the man’s comment and had apparently decided to tear him a new one on the spot. 

Alice felt her lips quirk up, in spite of the indignation she felt at someone thinking she needed protecting, as the man visibly shrunk before the furious woman in front of him. Alice sighed as the man, verbally beaten, slunk off into the night. 

She let her disapproval show as Claire turned to catch her eye and unsurprisingly, the irate woman’s eyes narrowed as she caught the look before she gestured with her head for Alice to speak with her in private.

Claire had a feeling she knew exactly what Alice was going to say to her. Hell, she’d have felt the same way if someone had felt the need to defend her without her permission. Not to mention she wasn’t exactly sure why she’d done it, but it was done and she’d have to come up with something to tell Alice to explain herself. 

In the end, Claire let a stern expression show on her face and decided to go with the best explanation that had occurred to her. 

“First of all I know what you’re going to say and I don’t want to hear it. I am in charge of this convoy and if I have decided to allow someone to stay with us, no one has the right to question me or be insubordinate,” Claire told Alice after she had appeared around the side of the hummer. 

Alice acknowledged her argument with a nod of her head and decided it was best to stay silent for now and let Claire finish. She was surprised that part of her was enjoying this and tried not to let her amusement show in case it irritated the fiery woman further. 

Claire raised an eyebrow when Alice didn’t respond but quickly recovered and moved onto her second and final point, “Lastly I will not allow such disrespect for someone who has only helped us so far and has not harmed anyone here.” 

Alice’s mumbled reply was lost as a car door slammed shut, but neither woman flinched at the sudden sound, and when Claire’s eyes asked a silent question Alice repeated herself, “Yet.” 

Claire’s features softened at her tone and she waited those blue eyes met with her own before she responded, “Haven’t and won’t. I know it. You should trust yourself, but if you can’t then trust me.” 

Alice nodded and held her gaze, “Alright. Thanks.” 

Claire waved her hand in silent dismissal and proceeded to change the subject, “Now about that solution of yours.” 


	3. Chapter 3

“Alaska?” Claire contemplated as she shook her head, “How do we even know if whoever sent those transmissions is still alive?” 

Alice raised her palm toward the roof of the hummer in acquiescence, “We don’t, but it’s all we have right now.” 

Alice kept her eyes on Claire’s as she skimmed through the pages of the journal. The worry and determination she saw in Claire’s eyes were expected, but the restrained hope she glimpsed took her by surprise. 

“What do you think happens if we get up there and this Arcadia doesn’t even exist anymore? What happens when we’ve used up all of our gas and gotten our hopes up for nothing?” 

“Well, I imagine that it would turn out much better than if we stay in this desert that has been picked clean of resources,” Alice replied as she held Claire’s gaze. “What happens when we run out of fuel here? How far do you think these people could get on foot in this environment?” 

After staring into her eyes for a minute, Claire slowly lowered her gaze back down to the journal in her hands and sighed, “Give me a bit to think it over. Think some contingency plans up just in case.” 

“Okay, Claire, just...try not to decide too late,” Alice pleaded as she laid her hand on Claire’s shoulder before she turned to leave the vehicle, but a hand reaching up to grip her own made her pause. 

“Are you still sleeping on the ground?” Their eyes met for a moment until Alice withdrew her hand and turned her gaze to the window. She could see separate fires burning where groups of people had gathered to sit on the sand and talk. 

“It’s safer that way.” 

“Safer? For who?” 

“Everyone. It’s safer for everyone if I’m not too close.” 

“You mean it’s safer for everyone but you. Being alone doesn’t make anyone safer. Not even you,” Claire didn’t know when but at some point, she had begun to worry about the isolation that Alice forced upon herself. 

Alice leaned her arm onto her knee and ran her hand through her hair and let out a breath, “Whatever Umbrella did to me I can’t control it in my sleep, and if I dream I can make things move without trying. It’s too dangerous for the others to have me sleeping near them.” 

Claire opened the door on her side of the hummer and lowered one foot to the ground, “You can stay in here with me. K-Mart's always hopping between here, Bettys’, and Carlos’. She won’t mind. Backseat’s yours for now.” 

Alice had planned to reject the offer put forth by Claire. The dust storm that blew in, however, had her scrambling into the backseat of the hummer in the middle of the night. She was stowing her weapons on the floor beside her when a voice spoke up from the front seats, “Thought you’d change your mind.” Claire’s voice sounded weary and possibly relieved and it made Alice wonder if she’d been awake waiting this whole time. 

“The wind changed it for me actually. Along with the sand blowing into my face,” Alice corrected as she bunched up her duster to lay under her head. She heard a strangled noise from the front seat and after a moment of confusion realized it was Claire laughing at her. 

“I’m glad my frustration can amuse you,” Alice said as she laid down on the seat with her back to the front of the hummer. 

Claire snorted and pulled her hat back down to cover her face, “I did tell you it was safer in here. Not my fault you didn’t want to listen.” 

We’ll see, Alice stayed quiet letting her silence speak for her and before she knew it she’d fallen asleep. 

Alice clone number 82 had seemed to have so much potential. It really was a shame. Dr. Isaacs had even thought she might make it all the way through unlike the other failures, but in the end that one had disappointed him as well. She’d managed to avoid the bomb trap in the floor, but the undead dog had obviously taken her by surprise. Isaacs turned to face the hologram of the White Queen as it appeared behind him, “Notify me when the next one is ready.” 

It didn’t take long for the shaking of the Hummer to wake Claire. She was a light sleeper these days and after a quick minute of panicked glancing out the windows, Claire eventually came to the conclusion that it was Alice’s power causing the vehicle’s movement. 

Claire scrambled over the seat and planted a knee onto the seat behind Alice’s legs and reached over to grab her shoulder as she realized what was happening, she’s having a nightmare. “ Alice! Wake up! Alice!” Claire shook her shoulder in a desperate attempt to wake her up before any of the others were drawn to the noise. The last thing they needed was for the other survivors to become even more afraid of Alice. 

Alice woke up almost immediately and the intense fear that flooded her eyes made Claire pause for a moment, but she recovered quickly. She tightened her grip on Alice’s shoulder in comfort as she watched the fear be replaced with confusion, “Hey, it’s okay. You were just dreaming. It’s alright.” 

“Claire?” Alice tried to blink the sleep from her eyes and as her eyes adjusted to the dark Claire was able to make out the tear tracks that ran down her face. Having gotten less than two hours of sleep, Alice was still half asleep and not sure why Claire had been shaking her awake, “What is it?” 

Claire relaxed back onto her leg that was folded on the seat, but kept the hand she’d put on Alice’s arm in place, “You were shaking the truck in your sleep.” 

Her eyes widened in concern and she sat up fast as she turned her head to check the surroundings of the Hummer. Alice heaved a sigh of relief when she noticed the lack of damage outside and reached down to collect her things, “Sorry. The storm’s moved on so I’ll go set my bedroll back up outside.” 

Claire shook her head and her hand moved to Alice’s knee to stop her, “No. I haven’t changed my mind. It’s still safer for you to sleep in here.” Alice looked from the hand resting on her leg up into Claire’s face and raised an eyebrow, “And what happens if I dream again and things start moving?” 

Claire moved her hand from its position onto the top of the seat behind her and met the defiant gaze leveled at her, “Then I’ll just wake you up again. But we’re going to have to figure something else out because I don’t know about you but I don’t consider climbing over these seats every hour a good night’s sleep.” 

Alice stayed silent as Claire seemed to think over something for a second and then decided on a solution, “Climb into the back. There’s room for both of us and I won’t have to jump back and forth from the seats.” 

Alice decided she was much too tired to argue and did as she was told. As she lay her weapons so that they were in easy reach, Alice faced away and heard Claire settle behind her. Though they fit easily, the supplies stacked beside them failed to give them ample room, and neither wanted to address how close they were laying. 

“Alice?” 

Claire had been wondering something and she took the quiet noise from Alice as an invitation to continue, “What was your dream about that it made your powers act up so badly?” 

Alice hesitated as she thought for a second how to avoid the question and sighed with the realization that she didn’t actually want to. With some, showing vulnerability could make you weak or even a target, but this was Claire asking, and if she trusted anyone’s sincerity it was hers. 

She tried to keep the emotion from her voice as she answered, “I don’t remember the details. Just the pain and terror as the fangs tore into me.” 

Claire’s hand once again settled on her shoulder, her thumb rubbing soothing circles, and then disappeared just as quickly as it had settled down. Alice fought a pang of disappointment until the weight of a blanket was drawn over the both of them and she realized she’d been shivering. Claire’s warm hand returned to its previous calming motions and in no time, Alice had fallen into a dreamless sleep. 


	4. Chapter 4

K-Mart covered her mouth with her hand to hide her snicker after she peered into the back of Claire’s Hummer. She spotted Carlos approaching and held a finger in front of her lips in a silent message. 

Carlos raised an eyebrow in confusion but kept his voice in an audible whisper, “Is Claire up yet? We need to decide where we’re going after we break camp tomorrow.” 

K-Mart shook her head and used her thumb pointing over her shoulder to gesture at the scene inside as she quietly answered, “No, Claire and Alice are both still sleeping.” 

Carlos cupped his hand above his eyes and leaned forward to see in the back windshield and his look of confusion turned into a smirk when his vision adjusted to the darkness inside the vehicle. Alice was laying with her back flush against Claire’s body and seemed to be held there by Claire’s arm that was set on top of their blanket and draped down over Alice’s stomach. Claire’s head rested on her other arm and she slept soundly with her nose hidden in the crook of Alice’s neck. 

Carlos chuckled softly as he raised his hand to lead K-Mart away from the Hummer, “We’d better not wake them. Pissing both of them off at once would be suicidal and besides, they look like they could use the rest.” K-Mart nodded and let herself be shooed away from the sleeping women but didn’t even try to hide the huge grin on her face. 

Though neither Alice nor Claire seemed to be in a particular hurry to discuss the sleeping positions that they’d woken up in, the rest of the convoy wasn’t at all shy about it. Specifically, K-Mart had no such qualms about teasing them for it, and the awkward glances they kept passing back and forth as they ate a breakfast of canned pears and soup amused her. 

“So, Alice, why are you the little spoon?” 

K-Mart dismissed the glare she received instead of an answer and her smile grew when she could still identify the soft humor in the blue eyes. She’d never been afraid of Alice in fact she wasn’t at all ashamed to admit that she admired her quite a lot. The glare switched targets, however, when Claire had finally gotten tired of feeling embarrassed and decided on an attempt to put Alice at ease. 

“She’s not the little spoon,” Claire said to K-Mart and watched the confusion stir in her eyes for a second before she elaborated. “She’s the knife.” 

K-Mart burst into laughter at the statement and was distracted enough that she didn’t see the looks and smiles that passed between Alice and Claire. Carlos appeared as K-Mart was recovering from her outburst and shook his head at her antics while he turned to face Claire, “We’ve got to break camp in the morning. Do you know where we’re heading yet?” 

“I want to talk about that. Get Mikey and Chase and meet us in the cargo truck. We’ll talk there,” Claire replied as she stood and motioned for K-Mart and Alice and they headed across the makeshift camp. 

Vegas, Claire thought as she once again went over all of the details in her head. She’d been the one to suggest the city to resupply in after the convoy voted to check out Alaska, and yet she still couldn’t believe the insane idea had come from her. Of course, it made sense to go there because it was the most likely place left for them to refuel, but big cities posed a major danger. One that they had avoided until now. 

“I can feel you worrying, you know,” Alice said as she lifted the arm that Claire had lain over her stomach and turned so they were facing each other before she rested it back on her waist. They were silent a moment as Alice brought her hand to Claire’s face and their gazes searched each other. 

Claire moved her arm and placed her hand over Alice’s where it touched her face, “Sorry, I just can’t stop thinking about every single thing that could go wrong tomorrow.” 

Alice’s thumb moved back and forth soothingly on Claire’s cheek, “I can’t promise that it’ll be fine. Or that no one will die. But stressing over it all night definitely won’t help. It just means you’ll be too worn out tomorrow to do much good.” 

Claire nodded and the movement left Alice’s thumb on her bottom lip as she exhaled. The warm breath caught Alice’s attention and Claire’s eyes on hers caught the spark that flashed through them as her gaze slid down to the soft lips she was touching. Alice’s gaze shot back up to hers and recognized the same fire in them she knew showed in her own. When Claire pulled her gaze from Alice’s to glance at her lips, she decided she’d had enough of waiting, and the hand that had been covering Alice’s moved to the back of her neck to pull their lips in together. 

They somehow managed to remember to fix their clothes before they fell asleep, well aware of the audience they’d garnered earlier that morning. K-Mart didn’t need any more ammunition against them then she already had and while they had no need to hide anything, they still weren’t going to make it easy for her. There would have been no fun in that. 

Las Vegas had certainly changed in those five years since it had seen living people and in that time the desert had almost succeeded in reclaiming the city. Alice drove the Hummer at the front of the convoy because, despite all of her attempts at distraction, Claire hadn’t slept well with all of her worrying. She slept now with her seat reclined halfway and K-Mart sat behind Alice as they made quiet conversation until the mostly buried city silenced them. 

“Shit,” Alice breathed as she reached for Claire’s shoulder and slowed slightly as she woke up and quickly glanced around, putting her seat back up right. 

The cargo container blocked their way to the gas pumps and Claire called out that it would have to be moved. She’d ordered Chase up onto the replica Eiffel Tower to serve as lookout and he’d just begun climbing it. Claire watched as Alice approached the container with her shotgun held in front of her in both hands and rested her hand on her holster. 

Alice stepped up to the front of the rectangular metal box and turned her head at what she thought was a noise inside it. She told the others to wait and saw Claire pull her gun out of the corner of her eyes as she listened carefully. 

There. She heard it again. A low groan followed by a thump. Something was definitely in there. 

“Get back!” Alice hurried backward as she called the order, aiming the shotgun at the container with one hand and held the other out beside her head in silent request. For a moment nothing happened and then it all went to hell as the metal door fell forward and the undead stormed out onto the sand. 

Alice immediately used all of her shotgun ammo and tossed the weapon aside in order to switch tactics. She heard a scream that sounded like K-Mart but didn’t have the opportunity to look towards the sound before Claire was calling for Carlos to cover her. Alice could only hope they’d be okay as she snapped an undead’s neck with her kick. 

Two undead pulled Claire to the ground before she could reach K-Mart, but luckily a shot from Chase at the undead blocking the door let K-Mart get to safety. Claire dispatched the undead who’d stopped her and jumped back to her feet to fight more. 

Alice pulled her kukri free from their place at the small of her back and jumped, whirling as she sailed over the heads of the undead who’d run at her. She sliced through their necks one after the other with her blades without slowing as they continued pouring from the container. 

Claire shot another as it ran towards the back of the cargo truck where the kids were hiding and pulled down another that had managed to climb up inside. She fired a shot into its head and tossed her gun when it was empty before putting her face in the gap of cloth that covered the back of the truck, “Just get to the back and stay quiet. Go! Now! Go!” 

Alice kept up her work with the kukri as she did what she could to help the other survivors. The blades were deadly in her deft hands and she forced them upwards parallel to each other up the chest of another undead. A yell drew her attention and in a moment of reprieve, she noticed even more of the undead chasing some survivors up into a white stone building. 

Alice leapt up onto the handrail of the ramp of the building killing one undead and then another when she jumped back down. It was too late for the survivor who was held up on the wall by the undead and Alice threw one blade into the face of another that faced her before moving to take out the first. 

“Make sure you move in as soon as she’s dead,” Dr Isaacs watched in the monitors as Project Alice spun and kicked and took out undead one after the other. “Is the satellite in position?” At the curt nod from the man sat at the keyboard, Dr Isaacs grew pleased and gestured at the screens with his chin, “Then shut her down.” 

Alice took out the others as they kept coming at her and in no time, she’d killed all of the undead near her. Alice needed to go check and see if any of the survivors still needed help and she walked over to pull a kukri from its’ place in an undead’s face. Alice gripped the blades in her hands and turned to leave the way she’d come before she stopped. Her body had frozen and nothing she did could even twitch her hand. Alice could hear and see everything going on near her, but her body wouldn’t listen and she recognized this feeling. Umbrella. 

Claire grabbed her rifle as Mikey tumbled out the back of the van and an undead woman jumped onto him from the van’s roof, “Hey!” The undead looked up and Claire took the chance to fire the bullet that went straight through its’ forehead and into the head of one that stood in the back of the van before she had to reload. 

Claire saw Mikey start crawling towards the van as she loaded the bullets, but before she could help him she had to take one out that had run up to her. She shoved the stock of the rifle into its’ stomach and quickly flipped the gun around, so the end pointed in the undead’s mouth and fired. Mikey had been grabbed by three more while she was occupied and even as she fired at them, they still began biting into him. 

“No!” Claire shouted desperately as she swung the finger lever down and back up and walked forward, firing as they continued burying their teeth in Mikey. She was close enough to see the blood pour out of his mouth and she shot the last one in the head. Claire wavered when she realized she hadn’t been able to save Mikey and her arm, still gripping the rifle, lowered down to her side. She paused as she took in the scene before her rage and frustration had built up so much that she turned her face up towards the sky and screamed. 


	5. Chapter 5

Claire, Alice heard her shout and struggled even more as she tried to break the control. 

Chase fired as the girl continued climbing towards him, trying to keep the undead off of her as she escaped, and reached for her hand when she was close enough. He grabbed his handgun from his side holster to shoot another that had gotten too close before he sent the girl climbing again, and when he was overwhelmed by them he grabbed a tight hold of them where he could. Chase began leaning over the side as one locked its’ teeth onto his collarbone and pulled them with him as he fell, slamming onto a beam farther down. 

Carlos noticed through the windshield how L.J.’s face had turned ashen and his eyes bloodshot. He was barely in time as he pulled open the truck door to grab the now undead L.J. as he leaned towards K-Mart. Carlos grabbed him around the chest to keep his teeth from her and pulled him towards him out the door, crying out as those teeth instead dug into his upper arm. He threw the undead to the ground as he lifted his gun, “L.J.” and fired into his former friend’s head. 

The satellite, Alice had found it and she sent her psionic powers up all the way until it damaged the inner workings enough to free her. Alice, finally able to move, hopped up onto the stone railing. Whistling at two undead that crouched over bodies, Alice flipped her kukri masterfully and dropped down onto the cargo container that had released the things. She started running when her feet hit and as the undead stood to confront her, she jumped with the kukri out sideways, cutting through their throats. Alice was gone before their bodies hit the sand. 

Umbrella had to be close by to be able to control her like that. Alice glanced around as she ran, and her rage grew with each body her eyes landed on, but the two she was looking for were still standing. K-Mart spotted her and nudged Claire to get her attention as she whispered something to her. Claire turned her gaze towards her and their eyes met for a brief moment before Alice had to break that contact in order to open the door to the stairway. Alice had time enough to see Claire give a small nod to K-Mart and the girl turned to head towards her, but she couldn’t wait for her. 

The Umbrella employees in the white tent were all too easy for Alice to kill, but Isaacs had escaped to the helicopter and they’d begun to head away from the city. Alice had her handguns pointed at the black helicopter, but put no pressure on the triggers as an idea formed in her head when K-Mart appeared at her side. 

“Why didn’t you shoot?” K-Mart had apparently elected herself to check on Alice while Claire dealt with the mess Umbrella had sent them. That Alice had brought down on them. 

Alice glanced into her face and then continued to watch the helicopter as she caught her breath, “Because we’re not driving to Alaska. And I want that helicopter intact. Let’s go look at the computer, see where that chopper’s headed.” Alice reached out to touch her arm warmly and led the way to the abandoned white tent filled with computer screens. 

Alice drove towards the coordinates that the helicopter had been headed towards as Claire sat beside her. “Umbrella set that trap for us?” Claire was angry, though not at Alice she claimed, as she brought her last cigarette back to her lips. 

Alice clenched her jaw as the rise in Claire’s voice made her own rage grow even more, “Not us. Me. They were after me. They tried to control me...again.” 

Claire raised an eyebrow at the last statement. She knew that Alice, Carlos, and some others had banded together until Alice disappeared. Carlos had told her what he knew of what happened to the others. He’d said that one of them was captured by Umbrella and the other one, a little girl, was dead. He wouldn’t give details and at the time, she hadn’t felt the need to bring up old wounds. 

“What do you mean?” 

Alice’s grip on the steering wheel was very controlled, but her white knuckles showed her stress, as she had to explain to Claire about how she’d killed Angela Ashford. 

“Umbrella killed her. Not you,” Claire had apparently decided, and surprise showed in Alice’s eyes when she glanced to the side at her. “You would never choose to kill a child. And since you actually had no choice in it, it’s not on you. Umbrella alone is to blame.” 

Carlos had been bitten. He’d also offered up a solution to their problem with getting to the helicopter. One that he had no illusions of surviving. Alice had tried to persuade him that the cure was just inside that fence, but he’d waved her off saying it was too late for that. So Alice was driving with Claire beside her and K-Mart behind them in the backseat of the Hummer, trying not to let her emotions show as Carlos drove the fuel truck at their side. 

Claire watched as Alice and Carlos shared a silent exchange and reached to grab Alice’s shoulder in comfort when her determined gaze swung back to the road before them. Alice slowed the vehicle until Carlos was ahead of them, barreling toward the mass of undead gathered outside the fence, and she clasped Claire’s hand as their eyes met for a silent moment. 

Then Carlos’s truck exploded, and Alice was stomping on the gas pedal so that they burst through the burning wreckage and the chained gates of the fence. The cargo truck followed them into the lot and both vehicles stopped when they neared the helicopter. Claire jumped out and ran to the pilot’s seat to power up the chopper as Alice and K-Mart transferred the kids from the truck to the helicopter. 

“You’re not coming?” K-Mart asked when Alice handed her the journal with the information on the safe haven, Arcadia. 

Alice shook her head as she replied, “Take care of the others.” Before she could take the first step back from them though, a hand reached out and grabbed the shoulder of her duster. Claire pulled Alice’s lips to hers and they paused like that for a moment before Claire pulled back and said seriously, “I better see you in Alaska.” Alice could only nod in response and took a few steps back as the helicopter rose into the air and headed into the distance. 

After they’d left, Alice felt a pull, something drawing her to a ditch that had been dug not too far from the small house. Her breath caught at the sight of the bodies that lay at the bottom. Each one looked exactly like her, or rather what she’d looked like when they escaped Raccoon City. Alice remembered the dreams and the feelings of pain and terror that always accompanied them. 

Something dripped down her face and as she reached her hand up to brush the moisture away, Alice realized they were tears. She was crying. Alice turned and started toward the house as she drew her kukri, spinning them in her hands with deadly precision. Alice kicked open the front door and entered the house before stepping back when the hidden elevator shaft appeared under her feet. 

The elevator opened up a hundred and twenty-five floors below the two-thousandth floor. The hallway Alice peered into with her gun at the ready was demolished and steeped in darkness. Bloody trails on the floor and handprints on the wall led into a room filled with knocked over shelves and splatters of blood. 

The White Queen had surprised Alice, though, from her knowledge of Umbrella’s underground facilities, she probably should’ve expected her. She told Alice that Dr Isaacs had been infected when he returned and that the undead who’d infected him had been altered by a serum formulated from her blood. Alice’s blood was bonded with the T-Virus and the effect that this had on Dr Isaacs’ infection was an extreme mutation. 

The White Queen also told Alice that her blood could contain the cure for the T-Virus and that all she would need to create it was in that facility. Of course, she’d have to get rid of the very mutated Dr Isaacs in order to safely use anything there. 

Alice fought a grimace when the White Queen wished her luck after she stepped into the room. It gave her a bad feeling to have the sister A.I. of the one who’d tried to kill her and had killed everyone else in the Hive, rooting for her. The metal door closed behind her and she followed the blood in the hall to yet another room where people had died. 

A sphere of water caught her attention and inside was her. Another clone. Alice gently touched the sphere until a shadow had her whirling around, gun lifted, and she was thrown backwards where she hit the liquid orb. Isaacs. She drew a kukri and sent it whizzing into his shoulder. Isaacs groaned and swayed back, as Alice turned to the water just in time to catch her clone as the sphere broke before he turned and ran into the hallway. 

After Alice left her duster covering her clone, she hadn’t survived her rough transition to the world, and found Isaacs they had traded blows until they ended up inside the hallway with the laser grid. 

Alice found it kind of funny that after all she’d done to escape the Hive, she was going to die the exact same way most of the recon team had. She laughed at Isaacs’ declaration that he was the future and when her reaction confused him, she happily corrected him. 

“No. You’re just another asshole,” Alice told him as she laser grid started up behind him. “And we’re both gonna die down here,” Alice wanted her last thought to be of Claire and she held her hand in front of her face as she waited for the laser, and then gasped as it stopped right before her, disappearing. 

Alice and her clone, who hadn’t been as dead as she’d seemed and had turned off the laser after it was done with Isaacs, faced the room full of spheres of water. Their eyes reflected determination and a hint of wonder at the sight of the rest of the clones. Alice had a couple of things to take care of with Umbrella, but then she would head to Alaska. To Claire.


End file.
